Store front



June 6, 1950 C. A. PATTERSON STORE FRONT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 2, 1946 JMW 5177551155' FazlErsDz-z #4i/wm existing building, the upright window sections 5, 6 and i4 may be secured in position in various ways as for instance, by being suspended from a suitable supporting frame work I6 furred out from the `front of the existing building, with hooks l1 secured to the window sections.

The window sections 5, E and I4 may or may not have their lower edges terminate at or above the sidewalk as existing conditions and restrictions may'require. Where they terminate above the sidewalk, the space therebeneath may be covered by a bottom section I8. This bottom section may take any desired form to suit different designs, but in the present illustrated design it is a box-like unit having front and back walls I9 and 2D and bottom and top walls 2l and 22 respectively. These bottom sections, in an arrangement such as that illustrated where the door is centrally located, are paired with the adjacent ends thereof formed as ofwer boxes 23 and provided with rearward angularly disposed extensions 24. This bottom treatment may vary to accord with the varying types oi architecture and to regulate the required height between sidewalk and window areas.

The bottom sections are of a height to' cover the lower portions of the window sections and 6 and to have the blinds Il rest thereon. Preferably, also a supporting strip 25 fixed to the Iwindow'sections 5 and 8 rests on the bottom sections.

Secureinent of the bottom sections in place locks the window sections 5 and `6 `in position and while such securement of the bottom sections Imay be effected in diierent ways, vit is conveniently done by bolts 26 passed through a bottom rail 2i olf the frame work Hi, through apertures 28 in the window sections 5 and 6, and through the back wall 20 of the box-like bottom section. Inside the box, nuts 2S threaded on the bolts 26 hold the parts together.

The blinds il, inasmuch as they overlap the window sections, do not themselves extend in back of the bottom sections but may have tongues 3!! projecting downwardly therefrom to engage behind the bottom sections so that the blinds are also secured against outward displacement by the bottom sections.

Attention is directed to the fact that the rearn Ward triangular extensions 2li engage the adjacent portions of the window sections l# and thus serve to hold these members in place upon securement of the bottom sections in position.

The top of the structure is completed by a telescoping panel unit or head piece indicated generally by the numeral 3 l. This unit consists of two end panels 32 and a center panel 33. The end panels are stock lengths which vary in multiples of two feet and are so chosen that their combined length is shorter than the full width of the front. The center panel 33 is of a length to span any space between the end panels. Thus through the selection of end panels of proper length it is possible to fit the panel unit 3| to any width of store front and always have desirable symmetry The entire top unit is so located that it covers the upper portions of the upright window sections 5 and 6 as well as the upper ends of the blinds H and thus not only completes the design but holds the blinds in position. The top panel unit is rigidly bolted and countersunk and se- :cured to the building wall in any suitable manner and to preclude the entrance of rain and dirt between it and the existing front of the building, the space between the top panel section and the building is closed by suitable sheet metal flashing 34 iixed to the building and to the top panel unit as shown in Figure 2.

As can be readily appreciated the telescoping top panel unit in addition to finishing oit the design can be used to cover existing glass areas where tall old-fashioned windows exist in order to obtain a better scale and feeling to said front design if so desired.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be readily apparent that this invention makes possible quick and inexpensive transformation of an ordinary store front into a pleasing, predetermined design, and at a :cost much less than would be required to make an actual structural change.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A prefabricated false front for buildings to improve the appearance thereof, comprising a plurality of upright window sections; means on said window-sections for suspending the same in side-by-side relation in front of the existing window or windows of the building; upright panel sections adjacent to the Window sections and substantially the same height as the window sections; cooperating means on said :panel and Window sections for holding said sections in side-by-side relation; teleslcoping members dening an elongated, extensible top panel extending across the upper portions of said sections and coacting with said cooperating means to hold the sections together at the top; and a bottom section extending across the lower portions of said panel and Window sections to hold the same together at the bottom.

2. The false front set forth in claim 1 further characterized by the fact thatA said. panel and window sections are connected together in overlapping relation by said cooperating. means which holds the panel and window .sections in side-by-side relation. i

CHESTER A. PATTERSON.

REFERENCES K CITED The following references Vare of record in the tile of this patent: Y

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

